The 900,000$ shot: Ralph A. Clevenger talks about his famous iceberg photo

You surely know Ralph A. Clevenger’s famous iceberg picture, even if you’ve possibly never heard of the photographer. It’s one of those iconic photos that everyone has seen at least once already and that convey some general concept.

But even if you’re familiar with the photo and the photographer, you might not know that this picture is one of the most successful stock images of all times. Since it was shot in 1998, it has generated more than 900,000$ in royalties. Clevenger claims that this immense success is due to the conceptual nature of his images. The idea that you won’t always get what you see or that nothing is the way it seems is so wide spread that over the years thousands of customers could identify with it and use the picture for different purposes and in numerous contexts.

It’s also interesting to know how Clevenger took this photo. I won’t give away too much, because I’m sure that the answer to this question will disappoint many purists as well as beginners who still believe in the perfect shot straight out of the camera. 😉